


Those Who Can't Do

by PrincessSelene04



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Wedding Planner, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Swearing, but minor angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22812328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessSelene04/pseuds/PrincessSelene04
Summary: Cinder didn’t know that signing up to plan Senator Konn’s wedding would mean spending most of the planning time with his adoptive son Kai. Things already start going awry only a few weeks into the months worth of organizing she has ahead of her. Cinder desperately hopes things start falling into place so this wedding isn’t a complete disaster.Cinder: Wedding PlannerKai: OfficiantIko: Hair/MakeupScarlet and Wolf: CateringCress: SingerThorne: DecoratorWinter: Dress/Tux DesignerJacin: Florist
Relationships: Jacin Clay/Winter Hayle-Blackburn, Kai/Linh Cinder, Scarlet Benoit/Wolf | Ze'ev Kesley
Comments: 17
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

Cinder tried to give the young singer her best reassuring smile. “Look Ms. Darnel, I don’t want to get your hopes up. A lot of people don’t want live music any more because there isn’t as much variety as there is with a DJ. I’ll give you a call if anyone is looking, but I don’t want you to expect anything.”

Cress sighed from where she sat across Cinder’s desk. Her fingers anxiously twiddled in her lap the entire time they’d been talking. “I understand. But please, if anyone is even thinking about live music, give me a call.”

“I will,” Cinder promised. She sat up from her desk and shook Cress’s hand. “In the meantime, you might want to think about alternative employment options.”

“I know,” Cress said, sounding defeated.

Cinder gave her another smile. “If anything comes up, I’ll give you a call.”

“Thank you.”

Cinder opened the door for her. She watched as Cress walked back down the hallway with less pep in her step than when she first met her. She really hoped someone would come around wanting live music for Cress’s sake.

The phone on her desk rang, and Cinder walked over to pick it up. “Hello?”

“Cinder your three o’clock is here,” the receptionist said.

“Thanks, you can send them over.”

She hung up the phone, walked around the desk, and took a seat in her chair. Not even a minute later someone knocked on her door. “Come in.”

Cinder had to admit, she was surprised to see Senator Konn and his fiance walk through her door instead of the “Gonzalez-Hernandez” party. Quickly getting to her feet, Cinder held her hand out to him over her desk. “Senator Konn, it’s nice to meet you. You’re the last person I expected to see today,” she admitted. She then reached out to shake his fiance’s hand as well. Oh what was his name… Ling? 

He smiled at her. Despite his hair starting to gray, he was quite handsome. “Yes, my apologies about that. We thought it best to use different names otherwise the press might swarm your office.”

“I appreciate it.” She nodded to the chairs in front of her desk. “Please sit.” Senator Torin and his fiance--fuck, what was his  _ name _ ?--sat down across from her. “I have to ask, how did you hear about me?”

“You planned a wedding for a friend of ours last year, and when we got engaged I had to ask her who did it.”

Cinder smiled. “Well that’s good to hear. I like to make an impression.”

“Well, you definitely did,” the fiance said.

“Yes,” Konn agreed. “We’d love to hire you.”

That surprised her too. Usually Cinder had to show people pictures of the weddings she planned, had to butter them up and compliment their tastes. She’d never have someone want to hire her right off the bat.

“Really?”

“You seem surprised.”

“I am. Usually it takes a bit more time and convincing for someone to hire me.”

“We’ve already seen what you can do, so convincing isn’t necessary at all.”

“Alright then. Should we get started on some basic concepts?”

Cinder spent an hour talking with Senator Konn and his fiance--Ming Shi, she remembered--about wedding details. She was able to get some basic plans and determine what vendor’s she’d want to introduce them too. Overall a very successful first meeting. She started putting all her books away in her desk.

“I have a caterer that I think would be perfect for you,” Cinder said. “Would sometime next week work to meet her?”

Torin nodded his head. “I’m sure we can find time somewhere, would it be alright if my secretary gave you a call to schedule something tomorrow?”

“Of course.” Cinder grabbed a business card from off her desk. “This has my extension on it. I should be in all day tomorrow, if not they can leave a message and I’ll get back to them as soon as I can.”

“Thank you. It was wonderful to meet you, Ms. Linh.”

“You too, Senator, Mr. Shi.”

After a long day of calling vendors for other weddings, and making sure people were getting little details right, Cinder headed home. Rain poured from the New York sky, but thankfully she brought her umbrella that morning. The walk to the apartment she shared with her cousin and best friend wasn’t too far. Twenty minutes of walking through the rain and she was already at the doorstep.

Cinder fished the keys out of her jacket pocket and unlocked the door. She walked up four flights of stairs before making it to the apartment door. Once again, she unlocked it and stepped inside.

The smell of vegetables, soy sauce, and chicken greeted her. Iko stood in the kitchen, cooking stir fry by the smell of it. Jacin’s jacket was draped over one of the dining room chairs, which meant he was somewhere in the apartment, probably on the couch or balcony. No doubt Winter was with him.

“I’m home!” she called out to no one in particular. She started unbuttoning her coat and kicked off her flats.

Iko’s head turned around and she gave Cinder a smile. “Hey you. Just in time, I’m almost done with dinner.”

“It smells good.”

“Thanks. You mind getting the lovebirds? They’re out on the balcony.”

Cinder raised an eyebrow at her. “Did they finally--”

“Of course not.”

She sighed, long and deep. Winter and Jacin, her cousin and childhood friend, had been in love with each other since as long as Cinder could remember. Of course when they were children that love was platonic, but since high school it’d grown into something much deeper. THe only problem was that neither of them wanted to admit that they were in love, which meant Cinder and Iko had to painfully the not-couple flirt constantly.

“Yeah, I’ll go get them.” 

She walked past the kitchen to the living room, opening one of the storm door that lead to the balcony.

Winter and Jacin were sitting in the patio chairs watching the rain fall.

“Hey, guys.”

Jacin’s eyes widened momentarily and Cinder almost laughed. He looked like a deer in headlights, or like she’d caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. It made her wonder what on earth they’d been talking about. She didn’t ask though.

Winter looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Hello, cousin. Care to join us?”

“I’m good. Iko wanted me to let you know that dinner’s almost done.”

“Oh, yay!” Winter hopped up from her chair, grabbed Jacin’s hand, pulled him up, and dragged him inside with her.

Cinder stepped aside so they could get past her. She shook her head at them, annoyed and exasperated that neither would admit their feelings yet. It had to happen eventually, right? They wouldn’t go their entire lives without saying they love each other. Iko definitely wouldn’t let that happen.

Leaving the door open so they could listen to the rain, Cinder followed them to the table. When she got to the table, Winter just finished setting it. Jacin grabbed a bottle of wine and some glasses while Iko dished up their food. Soon they were all seated and eating. Winter and Jacin sat next to each other on one side while Iko and Cinder were on the other.

“So how was everyone’s day?” Iko asked.

“Wonderful,” Winter said with a bright smile. “I finished the dress for Sybil Mira.”

“So you never have to see that bridezilla again?”

“Nope.”

Jacin’s lips pulled up into the smallest smirk. “I’ll drink to that.”

Winter gently tapped her glass against his then took a sip of the white wine. “How was your day, cousin?”

Cinder finished chewing the piece chicken in her mouth and swallowed it. “Interesting. I thought I had a wedding with a latino couple, but Senator Konn and his fiance walked in instead.”

Iko’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She almost looked like an old Saturday morning cartoon character. “Senator Konn as in… Torin Konn?”

“Yeah? Why?”

Iko got up from the table and went into the living room. She grabbed something off the coffee table before heading back and setting it down in front of Cinder. It was a magazine with a man about their age on the cover with Senator Konn.

“I  _ need  _ to do hair and makeup for this wedding so I can meet Kai Rikan. I  _ have  _ to, Cinder.”

She raised an eyebrow at her friend. “Iko… he’s just a guy.”

“Just a guy?” she gasped. “Cinder,  _ look at him! _ He’s beautiful, and charming, and, aces, look at that smile. He has the best smile.”

Cinder glanced over at Jacin who wore the same uninterested expression she probably did. Winter, however, looked sly. “He does have a nice smile,” Winter agreed. “It wouldn’t hurt to suggest Iko so she can fulfil her dream of falling in love with a rich young heir.”

Iko winked. “Hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Cinder promised.


	2. Dessert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinder and Kai meet! It’s pretty damn cute if I do say so myself.

Cinder looked down at her watch and swore under her breath. 

_Shit. Shit shit shit!_

She was running late. This was only the second time she was meeting with Senator Konn and his fiancee, she couldn’t be late so soon after they hired her. They’d think she was unprofessional. They’d want to fire her. They _would_ fire her. 

She hopped over a puddle as she raced across the street in the direction of Benoit Bakery and Catering. It was still a good three blocks away. With another glance at her watch, Cinder decided “to hell with it” and broke out into an all out sprint. People running on the New York sidewalks was nothing new so no one even spared her a glance. 

She nearly lost one of her flats on 1st Ave, but it was fine. As long as she got there in time. She rounded a corner and finally saw the familiar crimson logo sticking out from the building. Pausing just before the door, Cinder took a second to compose herself before stepping inside.

The delicious scent of baked goods, roasted meat, sauteed vegetables greeted her like an old friend. She walked over to the counter and rang the bell.

It only took a few seconds for a curvy woman with an abundance of curly red hair stepped out from the back. When the woman’s brown eyes landed on Cinder, she immediately smiled. “Cinder, good to see you.”

“You too, Scarlet. Are my people here yet?”

She shook her head. “No, you’re right on time. They haven’t come in yet.” Scarlet leaned over the counter, resting her elbow on the stained wood to get closer to Cinder. “Are you really doing Senator Konn’s wedding? I couldn’t be sure if you were serious on the phone or not.”

“Why would I lie?”

“To get me to cover something when I’m already overbooked,” Scarlet deadpanned. “We’re getting pretty popular, you know.”

“So I’ve heard.”

The bell above the front door chimed and their attention turned toward it. Senator Konn, Ming, and the young man that was on the cover of the magazine Iko showed her last week walked through the door.

“Sorry we’re late,” said the senator. “We planned ahead for traffic, but as you can see, not well enough.”

“A few minutes isn’t a problem, right, Red?” Cinder looked to her for confirmation.

Scarlet shook her head with a welcoming smile on her face. “Not at all. I have a table set up over by the window.” She started leading the group back toward the front of the small space. “Unfortunately I was only expecting two people with Cinder, so–”

Cinder waved her hand. “I’m more than fine not tasting today. Last time I was here I think I gained ten pounds.”

“Good. You need to get some meat on your bones.” Scarlet pinched the skin of her forearm to prove her point.

“Go get the hor devours.” Cinder quickly swatted her hand away then turned her attention back on the men standing beside her. As Scarlet disappeared into the back, Cinder whispered, “Sorry about that. She can be a bit… eccentric. But her food is worth it. I promise.”

The younger man laughed and for the first time since they’d entered the bakery, Cinder got a good look at him. He was handsome with his jet black hair messily styled and and copper eyes gleaming. She was surprised to see that instead of wearing business clothes like the senator and his fiancee, he was wearing a gray sweatshirt and jeans.

“Miss Linh, this is my son, Kai,” said Senator Konn. “I hope you don’t mind that he joined us today.”

“Not at all.”

She reached out to shake Kai’s hand and was once again surprised. This time it wasn’t by how he looked, but what he did. Instead of shaking her hand, Kai brought it up to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. 

She blinked.

He smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Linh,” he said as he gently let go of her hand.

She cleared her throat. “Y-you can call me Cinder.” And then she added, “You all can. Ms. Linh makes me feel old. I’m only 24.” She hoped the last bit sounded like a joke.

It must have come out right because Kai, Senator Konn, and Ming all smiled at her. Was she blushing? She felt hot. Dammit, she was probably as red as Scarlet’s hair right now.

Speak of the devil…

Scarlet came back carrying a tray of hor devours, her husband following behind her with another before heading back to the kitchen. She raised her eyebrows at them. “You can sit down, you know.” Setting the tray on the table while the men took a seat, she spared a glance back at Cinder. This time her brows furrowed. “You okay? You look a little flushed.”

Suspicions confirmed.

Cinder was, in fact, blushing. Scarlet asking about it only served to make her even more red. “I’m fine.”

Kai’s eyes flickered up in her direction and Cinder did her best to ignore him.

Deciding a change in subject was her best option to forego any more embarrassment, she asked, “what do you have for us, Scarlet?”

They got through the first two courses without any trouble. Scarlet told them what was in each appetizer and the entrees, getting into details about vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options as well. They were all things Cinder had heard before.

About halfway through tasting entrees though, Kai turned his attention back on her. “So… what made you want to be a wedding planner?”

Cinder huffed a laugh. “That’s a long story.”

“I got the time. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together the next few months.”

“We are?” 

Senator Konn looked over at them with an apologetic smile. “Yes. Ming and I are particularly busy during fall, so we asked Kai if he’d be willing to do most of the planning with you. He knows what we do and don’t like, probably better than we do ourselves, so we trust him with the details.”

Cinder stared at the senator for a few seconds. It wasn’t like she could say no to him. He was a senator and she was a wedding planner who needed the type of clientele this wedding was sure to bring her.

“Of course. There are certain things I’ll need you both to be around for though. Fittings for example.”

He nodded. “Yes, being around for necessary things like that won’t be a problem at all. It’s the little details that we don’t have the time for.”

“Alright.” Cinder looked back at Kai. Why did he have to smile so much? No, it wasn’t the smile that bothered her. It was how perfect the smile was. It was the genuine kindness and interest in his eyes. It was the way he looked at her with respect and not like an object.

 _Fuck_.

“So, it looks like I’ll be scheduling with you then, Kai?”

“Yeah. And I’m pretty flexible, so we can work around your other weddings. Let me know when works for you and I can be around.”

“If only everyone was like that,” she joked.

The way his nose crinkled up when he laughed was very cute, she realized.

“So, why wedding planning?” He asked again.

“Those who can’t do, plan.”

His head tilted to the side like he was a confused puppy and not a handsome 20 something year old man. “What does that even mean? Like… can’t get married?” Kai laughed, looking at her like she was crazy.

She probably was.

It was fine.

“Something like that.”

Much to her relief, Scarlet came back with the next round–dessert. Even though cinder said she wouldn’t try anything this time around she did snatch a piece of lemon cake. Well, it was more like Scarlet forced the plate in her hands and threatened her to eat it. Either way the cake was delicious. It always was.

After picking out hor devours, meals, and desserts, Senator Konn and Ming left the bakery. Cinder expected Kai to go with them, but much to her surprise–that’d been happening too often for her liking today–he stayed behind.

“Want my number so you can text me when you need me?” he asked.

Cinder had to take a few seconds to process what he said. He was… he was saying he was going to give her his number so she could… wedding planning. That’s what he meant. “Yeah. S-sure.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket, opened to a new contact, and handed it over to him.

Kai typed in his name and number, texted himself winky emoji so he had her number, then handed it back to her. “It was really nice meeting you.” Usually when people said that it sounded so fake, but somehow Cinder knew he meant what he was saying.

“You too, Kai.”

“Really though, I’m free whenever. If we need to do something at the last minute, it shouldn’t be a problem. Let me know and I’ll get wherever you need me.”

“Okay. I’m going to put some things together, then let you know what the next step is sometime tomorrow.”

Kai smiled at her, making Cinder’s heart skip a beat. “Can’t wait.”


End file.
